We All Mature Someday...

by TLC

To Catch Me If I Fall...

Scootaloo tossed and turned in her sleep, feeling cold and with the feeling of missing something. Her eyes opened slowly and she looked around at her surroundings. This wasn't her apartment. This wasn't even some hotel she would stay at from a town she was racing in. Something was definitely missing though, or somepony. She sat up, stretching her wings and feeling the pops in her joints. The couch she laid on was still warm from where that somepony laid next to her. Standing up from the battered piece of furniture was one choice she quickly regretted. As when Scootaloo got all the way up, she felt light headed and lost her balance, falling right back down on the couch face down. She breathed into it, smelling the spot where she was. Her eyes widened. It all suddenly came back to her.

Scootaloo looked around, she was right. This was not her apartment or some hotel. This was indeed Rainbow Dash's home, and she spent the night there. A huge blush formed on her face as she recalled the night before, the pit in her stomach growing wide and giving her a wicked bad tummy ache. 'What...did that really happen?' She thought. Yes, it did. She confessed her love to Rainbow, and was greeted with her open hooves. She recalled every detail, how she almost ran out out of shame of herself and how Dash pulled her back. Her blush intensified as she recalled their kiss... But what really stood out was where Rainbow was. Or wasn't.

She moved about the living room and looked at all of the medals that hung on the wall. All of them with the same symbol, a rain cloud with a rainbow lightning bolt coming out of it. She had always known that Dash was big in racing and won a vast majority of the races she competed in, but never knew that she had earned enough medals to cover up this wall. They ranged from on side to the next. What caught Scootaloo's eye the most, however, was a crown that hung by a nail in the wall. It was the same crown that was given to Dash the day of the Young Fliers competition all those years ago.

She still kicks herself to this day for not being able to go. After all the fantasies of being there for her during a big race, she goes and gets grounded for trying to earn her cutie mark in cutting manes. The trouble she got into that day, in her filly mind, rivaled Luna's banishment to the moon. Now that seems a little exaggerated. Still, where is Rainbow?

'Getting some air would probably cool my nerves.' Scoots thought, and moved towards the front door. With a turn of the handle, and a push, she was out on the front porch. She walked out towards the edge and sat, staring down at the peaceful town below. So many memories from Ponyville came to her mind, keeping her occupied while a figure stalked up behind her. Suddenly, Scootaloo was jerked back into a hug.

"Ah!" She screamed. When she turned around, her scared look turned to one of relief. "Oh, there you are."

Rainbow Dash grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Scoots. Couldn't help it." She buried her face into Scootaloo's mane, nuzzling the back of her head. Scoots blushed a little, and returned the gesture. They both stood there in silence, with only the comfort of the embrace they shared. Enjoying the heat that irradiated between them and from the sun. "The sun looks so nice in the morning doesn't it?"

Scootaloo smiled. "Yeah, it sure does. Do you always come out here so early?"

Rainbow nuzzled her. "Only after something amazing happens." Scootaloo blushed and hide herself in Dash's chest. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I had the best blanket in Equestria." Scootaloo said sheepishly. "By the way, why did you leave? I was so comfortable."

Rainbow laughed. "I had to get up and walk around at some point." She kissed Scoots on the cheek. "As much as I'd like to, I can't keep you warm all day."

Dash's comment made Scootaloo shiver. She brought a hoof up and touched it to Dash's face. "Rainbow?" Scoots whispered.

"Yeah?" Dash said through the orange pegasus's mane.

"Did...did you mean what you said yesterday?" She turned to face the cyan pegasus. "I mean, I know you did. I think. I don't know!" She fell into Rainbow's hooves and sighed. "I'm still shocked that I came out with it, and that I'm actually here with you."

Rainbow hugged the orange pegasus, stroking her mane and holding her tight. "Scootaloo, you should know that I wouldn't say something like that and not mean it. I'm Element of Loyalty after all." She pulled away to look Scoots in the eye. Their eyes seemed to be the same shade of violet, both glistening in the morning sun. "You've grown up so much. I was just like you when I was a filly, wild, reckless, fast. Wanting to be just like somepony else." Her words sounded unfamiliar to even her self as she went on. "But now, you're your own pony. You got here just by being yourself, and had the courage to say what you said to me last night. I have never felt this way about anypony ever in all of my life."

"But, I..." Scootaloo paused. "I want to know how you feel about this. Show me that you really feel how I feel about you." Her words burned herself as she spoke. "It's not that I don't believe you, I just want to make sure. I really love you, Rainbow and..."

Rainbow held the orange pegasus as she spoke. She was right, in some case. Rainbow did love her, but how was she to show it? "Alright." She quickly pulled away and headed inside the cloud home. A few minutes later, she came back out, her wings were tied down with rope. As she walked towards the edge of the porch, Dash turned to Scootaloo and smiled.

Scootaloo was not understanding what Rainbow was doing. "Dash, what are you-"

Scootaloo cut herself off as Dash fell backwards off her porch.

"RAINBOW!!" Scootaloo screamed. She ran and dived off the porch, her wings snapped out as she dove straight down. Her eyes fell upon the falling cyan pegasus, looking right back at her. Her smile had not change. 'What is she doing?! She's too far down!' Scootaloo panicked, there looked to be no way she could reach Dash in time. Her home was not far off the ground, and they were falling at an increasing rate. Scootaloo focused all of her energy and strength on her wings, and her thinking on catching Rainbow Dash.

'Come...on!...Faster!' She screamed in her head. They were not far from Ponyville now, it was only a matter of seconds. Her wings flapped as hard as they could, her back was straining, and her eyes burned the faster they flew. But Dash kept smiling. Scootaloo thought back, back to when Rainbow was training her. The day before she left Ponyville. Her mind raced back further to when she was a filly and idolized her as a hero. None of those thoughts motivated herself as much as she thought back to the night before. She cried into Dash's shoulder, hating herself for feeling the way she did. She does. And Rainbow felt the same way.

Scootaloo's eyes flew open wide. 'She...she does...Rainbow does love me. She's trusting me!' She realized. Her face turned to one of determination and she flew straight down, faster than she ever has. Her mind only focusing on the pegasus only a few hooves away from her. Closer...closer-

"Gotcha!" Scootaloo yelled. She grabbed Dash into a hug, only to notice the ground speeding towards them. Her eyes shut tight and Scootaloo braced herself, her wings splayed open in an attempt to slow them down. She felt the burns of her wings being strained to hold stiff. Her eyes watered from the pain, but she won't let either of them get hurt. She won't let Dash get hurt.

She got them to hit the ground with very little force, rolling them down a small hill into a couple of bushes. Scootaloo's vision was blocked by the one coming barrage of bush after bush, each hitting them constantly. As they came to a stop, Scootaloo flew forward from Rainbow, almost hitting a tree and stopping just in front of it. Her throat burned from heavy breathing, she came accustom to this from racing, but never had she flown so fast for any reason other than to be in first place. Her heart raced and her wings ached.

"Rainbow!" She called out, her eyes not opening. "Oh please tell me you're alright..." Scootaloo panted as she laid there in the grass. Suddenly, she felt a hoof caress her cheek. Scootaloo opened her eyes to see Dash sitting beside her, her rainbow mane filled with leaves and a warm smile on her face. Scootaloo quickly stood up and forced herself upon the cyan pegasus, pushing them both to the ground.

"Dash! Are you okay?! What the hay is wrong with you, you could've gotten killed!" She screamed at the cyan pegasus, who simply laid there staring dreamily back at her.

"But I didn't..." Rainbow said, siting up and taking leaves out of Scootaloo's mane. "Because you caught me."

"Yeah...but-" Scoots tried, but was cut off by Dash's hoof.

"And I knew you would...because I love you." She spoke sincerely. "I would have fallen to my death, based on my own foolishness, but that's it. I didn't. You wanted me to prove to you that I loved you. Well, Squirt." She laid back down in the grass, pulling Scootaloo down with her. "I love you enough to trust you'll be there to catch me if I fall."

Scootaloo stared back in disbelief. Rainbow just risked her life in an attempt to prove to her that she felt the same way. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she pulled Rainbow into a hug. "Rainbow..." She sobbed. Dash stroked her mane as she sobbed into the rainbow mane.

"I mean it, Scoots. All of it." Rainbow said. She rolled over so she laid muzzle to muzzle with the orange pegasus. She saw a small smile grow on Scootaloo lips and she started laughing. "What's so funny?"

Scoots lifted a hoof and lightly tapped Rainbow on the head. "If you do that again..."

"Yeah?" Dash asked, grinning.

"I might just let you fall." Scootaloo finished. She leaned in and kissed Rainbow, who returned the gesture. The two pegasuses laid there under the trees of the small patch. Lying in each others embraces and sharing a kiss at the start of many. Both do not know where this relationship will take them, whether their friends accepting their decision, Scootaloo's career, or whatever might get in the way. All Rainbow and Scootaloo now know, was that love is love, no matter what.

But the most important lesson was learned by Scootaloo. After years of her thoughts, of her denying them, and of her tossing them aside. Labeling them as minor altercations. She didn't love Rainbow Dash, it was a simple crush that she had. After her realizing that her races weren't the point, and that she did love her, Scootaloo came home to confront these thoughts. Now, she lays in the hooves of the pony she loves. In her own way, Scootaloo finally felt like she grew up. And she's right to think so. Because...

We All Mature Someday.

Comments

[ugugg93]

Cute ending!

But there was one moment that really really REALLY irked me for whatever reason...

Dash falls with bound wings... ok
Scoot comes down to catch her... ok
Scoot catches Dash... ok
They tumble into bushes... ok
Heartfelt moment where Dash says cute things... ok
They instantly are on a cloud looking over a sunset without ever mentioning breaking their embrace, let alone flying up... o-... wait what?

[TLC]

344178 Oh crap... Edit fail. My bad! Original ending was that Dash breaks the rope and catches scoot, but happy ending all the same. Thanks for catching that! Fix'd!

[ugugg93]

344190

Nah, its ok! I once nearly posted something that had a "pony" change races and genders at least twice... and neither I nor my editor found it until 5 minutes before I posted

[Zir]

YES!

[Scribblesheet The Scribe]

+ We need more stories with these two two they're a good match and really cute together.

[Wahtiff]

A few minutes later, she came back out, her wings were tied down with rope. As she walked towards the edge of the porch, Dash turned to Scootaloo and smiled.

I'm laughing because of how quickly things seemed to escalate there. And she's so CALM, too.